In MLB The Show 21, players are allowed to equip their Road To The Show ballplayer, as well as Diamond Dynasty players, with equipment cards that could be the difference between winning and losing ballgames. While this may change players' looks, equipment cards have purposes that go beyond simple cosmetics.
Both Road To The Show and Diamond Dynasty modes utilize equipment, and although these items can cost quite a few ticket stubs in The Show, they are often times more valuable than superstar players. Some items have the ability to take an average player and put them on the same level as a Hall of Famer. Equipping a current superstar with these items will make them impossible to stop, whether they are on the mound or at the plate.
While most baseball video games offer players the ability to add batting gloves, or change bats, MLB The Show 21’s equipment actually boosts abilities of players wearing them, and there are a lot of options to choose from. Seemingly every part of a player's body is able to have some kind of customizable piece added to it, quickly improving their skills that would otherwise take hours of gameplay to accomplish. Since Road To The Show players' abilities are capped at 50 for most skills, equipment becomes a must to take their career to greater heights.
How MLB The Show 21's Equipment Cards Work
MLB The Show 21's equipment cards can be found in the marketplace in the Diamond Dynasty mode, or by opening up packs that are earned by accomplishing various objectives in Road To The Show. Players earn points for things like pitching a particular amount of innings, or racking up a certain amount of hits. Upon accomplishing these tasks, players are rewarded with packs containing an assortment of equipment that a player can choose from. While it may be tempting to sell rare items for huge amounts of ticket stubs, the attribute boosts they provide could be more beneficial than signing a big-name player, especially for those who prefer to play Road To The Show over Diamond Dynasty.
Now, some items are far more important to a player's success than others. For example, items that improve a player's discipline, plate vision, and base-running aggressiveness don't really have any impact on the game itself, but they do make a difference for players who simulate lots of games in The Show 21. The big items players want to look for are things that improve contact, power, speed, fielding and pitching attributes. Bats, gloves, and elbow guards are some of the obvious items players will want to equip, but socks, and bat grips should not be overlooked. Although many players will never get behind the plate as a catcher, equipping catcher's gear will improve one's durability, allowing them to play more frequently as their fatigue will drain less from game to game.
Creating the best player in MLB The Show's Road To The Show mode can be a long grind, but equipment cards are a great way to quickly improve attributes that will make hitting and pitching a little more fun, or at the very least a little easier. Batters that would otherwise leave the ball a few feet short of the wall will see hits finally leave the yard. Pitchers previously unable to put hitters away will hit spots a little more consistently. So, players should save up the ticket stubs, and reap the benefits of having a fully equipped ballplayer.